Celebrating America's Female Warriors

Why do we become war fighters?

Since January, I’ve been a part of a new course exploring women warriors. We’ve discussed the label ‘warrior’ and its application to causes we agree and don’t necessarily agree with and the women who participate. Repeatedly, we discussed the difference between masculine violence and feminine violence. As peers, we discuss, almost equally, how society accepts male violence as a natural experience (for a lack of a better term).

I cannot speak for all societies but American media have target demographics for films, videos, video games, and television shows. Spongebob Square Pants (a cartoon my daughter is not allowed to watch), Archer (which my husband and I watch) and American Sniper (which neither my husband or I have seen, nor would we let our daughter watch) are but a few examples. While they are not equally comparable, they are well known to the general American public.

I just thought of mentioning Archer creators were probably regretting naming the spy agency ISIS (International Secret Intelligence Service) but I’m so far behind the times, it’s already no longer in use. No one wants to be associated with the bad guys (and women).

So, on our side, why do we want to be war fighters?

I won’t say why does someone want to join the [military] service because there are a lot of privileges with this career choice. Education benefits (on different scales), a steady paycheck (when you don’t have a ‘no pay due’–which can happen, sometimes), health insurance (for those planned and unplanned babies…or martial arts injuries), and so much more.

I speak playfully about military service because I know the ‘warrior’ side but I also know the young warrior side. There is a great amount of sarcasm and camaraderie behind the uniform, especially for the 18-30 year old group (and those still wishing they were 18-30).

On a serious note though, it’s easier to bring a war to someone else’s front door than for it to be on our own. The Boston Marathon Bombing trial is a reminder terrorism costs lives, not just those who choose service but those standing (literally) on the sidelines. Whole futures were trampled, families are broken and while justice will be served, the damage cannot be undone. This loss and the desire to prevent the future deaths of innocents is why people become war fighters.